No James Beard awards for Indy chefs — but why?

Chicago cleans house while Hoosier chefs keep waiting

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Milktooth chef/owner Jonathan Brooks. Like the Indianapolis food scene, which has mushroomed with chef-driven independent restaurants just in the last six years, Milktooth gained prominence rapidly after opening in January 2015.(Photo: Michelle Pemberton/The Star)Buy Photo

Despite a year of accolades and national attention for Indy’s food scene, the city once again will not take home a James Beard award.

The so-called “Oscars of the food world” bypassed four chefs and a restaurateur here who were 2016 semifinalists.

Representing Indianapolis in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category for best chef was Milktooth owner Jonathan Brooks. Although this was Brooks’ first James Beard award nod, Food & Wine put the 30-year-old on the national magazine’s April 2015 cover as one of America's 10 best new chefs. Bon Appetit magazine spotlighted Brooks this month in a story about the Downtown's prospering food scene, marking his third appearance in that publication.

Also on the semifinalist list was Recess owner Greg Hardesty, a five-time James Beard award semifinalist. Bluebeard chef Abbi Merriss showed up for the first time, though under her co-direction Bluebeard was a James Beard Award semifinalist shortly after the Fountain Square restaurant opened in 2012.

Chicago cleaned house in the category. The finalists, who were announced Tuesday, are Abraham Conlon of Fat Rice, Curtis Duffy of Grace, Lee Wolen of Boka, Erling Wu-Bower of Nico Osteria and Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia, all in the Windy City.

Indy's Café Patachou founder Martha Hoover was in the running for outstanding restaurateur in the nation in recognition of her Broad Ripple restaurant Public Greens, which donates all its profits to help feed Indianapolis kids suffering food insecurity. She was nominated for the same award in 2013 for her Patachou Inc.restaurant group, which also includes Petit Chou and Napolese.

Best restaurateur finalists this year are Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz of Chicago's Boka Restaurant Group, which includes Girl & the Goat; Ken Friedman of New York City, who runs The Spotted Pig; Michael Mina of Mina Restaurants in San Francisco, who operates Michael Mina; Cindy Pawlcyn of Napa, Calif., where she runs various brands; and Stephen Starr of Starr Restaurants in Philadelphia, which owns Talula's Garden and others.

Cerulean chef Alan Sternberg of Indianapolis was a semifinalist in the rising star chef category, his first James Beard award recognition. That award goes to "a chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry."

The finalists are Alex Bois of High Street on Market in Philadelphia; Angela Dimayuga of Mission Chinese Food in New York City; Grae Nonas of Olamaie in Austin, Texas; Matt Rudofker of Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City; Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme in New York City; and Jenner Tomaska of Next in Chicago.

The Beard Foundation annually presents the awards to top chefs, restaurants, cookbooks, food media, and wine, beer and spirits professionals. Winners will be announced April 26. The James Beard awards gala is May 2 at Lyric Opera in Chicago.

Brooks was arguably the Indianapolis front-runner for a nomination. Like the Indianapolis food scene, which has mushroomed with chef-driven, independent restaurants in the past six years, Milktooth gained prominence rapidly after opening in January 2015. That fall, then-Mayor Greg Ballard designated Oct. 2, 2015, as Milktooth Day in Indianapolis.

With a growing number of celebrated, chef-driven restaurants here, why hasn't the Indianapolis area won a James Beard Award?

That's often dinner debate among foodies here. Answers vary.

One big challenge is that Indianapolis restaurants, like all Beard award competitors, must gain lots of votes among judges. Award ballots are distributed to about 300 previous James Beard restaurant and chef awards winners. An additional 250 voters, including food writers and restaurant critics, are divided evenly among 10 regions. Also voting are 17 members of the Beard Foundation restaurant and chef award subcommittee. All votes count equally and are tabulated by an independent accounting firm. The five semifinalists with the highest number of votes in each category become the nominees for the award.

Chefs, restaurateurs and food and drink industry observers I've talked to locally shared their own opinions about why Indianapolis hasn't at least garnered a nomination. Some think Indianapolis and other Great Lakes cities can't compete against food mammoth Chicago. The large, affluent market there attracts some of America's and the world's best chefs — and the investors to finance them.

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Public Greens owner Martha Hoover won't take home a James Beard award, but she In February 2015, Hoover was inducted into the 2015 Junior Achievement of Central Indiana Business Hall of Fame. The recognition honored Hoover's work as a business role model to youth and the community. She has also won the Jefferson Award for Public Service. Hoover speaks at many conferences, the American Express Cherry Bombe Jubilee most notable among them.(Photo: Kelly Wilkinson/The Star)

Others say Indiana chefs haven't traveled enough outside of Indianapolis to broaden and refine their skills and creativity. There are those who blame Indianapolis-area diners for not being critical, demanding or discerning enough.

Perhaps, it's just too soon for Indy. The creative, chef-driven dining scene here is a fledgling compared with Chicago's.

No matter the outcome, cooks and restaurateurs here remain dedicated to their crafts. Milktooth was closed Tuesday as the finalists were announced. When I contacted Brooks Monday night to see what kind of celebration he had planned if he took a nomination, he answered with his usual humility: “No plans. I didn't even know it (the announcement) was tomorrow.”

As Brooks told me after he made the Food & Wine cover: "I don't feel like the best new chef in Food & Wine magazine. I feel like Jonathan trying to make the best Milktooth possible."